Clamping device



Nov. 17, 1964 M. FURST CLAMPING DEVICE Filed June 26, 1962 INVENTOR. MAI/2K Fzwsr ATTORNEY stresses.

United States Patent 3,157,397 CLAMPING DEVICE Mark Furst, 138-40 68th Drive, Kew Garden Hills, Queens, N.Y.

Filed June 26, 1962, Ser. No. 205,440 1 Claim. (Cl. 269--86) The present invention relates generally to improvements in tools and it relates more particularly to an improved clamping device highly useful in carpentry and furniture assembly and production.

In the production and assembly of furniture and the like, such as cabinets, chests and similar articles, it is usually necessary to maintain the article of furniture in its finally assembled condition during the drying or setting of the glue. The assembly should be so maintained during this period so that the glue carrying points are tightly compressed and the configuration of the assembly is accurately and precisely maintained in the absence of any distorting A further requirement in maintaining the furniure assembly during the setting of the glue is that none of the surfaces of the furniture, particularly none of the eX- posed surfaces, be scratched, marred, defaced or otherwise damaged. The assembly of the furniture during the drying of the glue is conventionally maintained by means of clamping devices of various types. These clamping devices heretofore available were awkward, bulky and expensive, were diflicult to use, particularly by one not trained and skilled in the field, and unless extreme care is always employed damage to the article of furniture is highly likely. Moreover, the adjustment of the clamped assembled article of furniture is difficult to accomplish. It is thus clear that the conventional clamping devices and procedures for maintaining articles of furniture assembled attendant to the setting of the glue possess many drawbacks and disadvantages and are not suitable for the amateur or do-it-yourself furniture or cabinet maker.

It is, therefore, a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved tool.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved tool for use in carpentry and cabinet and furniture assembly.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved clamping device for maintaining furniture, such as cabinets, chests and the like in a tightly assembled condition attendant to the setting of the glue cementing the furniture joints.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved furniture clamping device which may be employed by amateurs, do-it-yourself cabinet makers and others without the need for special skills or aptitudes.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a clamping device of the above nature characterized by its simplicity, ruggedness, ease of use, versatility and low cost.

The above and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective view of a clamping device embodying the present invention; and

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view thereof illustrated in use as applied to the assembly of the top, bottom and end wall of a cabinet.

In a sense, the present invention contemplates the provision of a clamping device which comprises a clamp member including a longitudinally extending cross-bar terminating in laterally projecting parallel arms having parallel confronting faces, an elongated clamp block having a flat underface and an inclined top face at a first acute angle to the underface, and a wedge member having opposite flat faces at an acute angle to each other substantially'the same as said first angle. When the clamping device is assembled in its operative condition, the article of furniture is embraced by the arms of the clamp member, the clamp bar resting on a wall of the furniture article and the wedge being tightly sandwiched between the clamp bar and an abutting clamp member arm, the oppositely directed faces of the clamp bar and the superimposed wedge being substantially parallel.

The clamp bar is advantageously provided at opposite ends thereof with complementing relatively inwardly upwardly inclined surfaces the opposite inner edges of which are joined by a fiat surface parallel to the underface of the clamp block. Laterally extending lips preferably depend from opposite ends of the clamp block. In many applications, a pair of clamp members and corresponding wedges are employed with the unit clamp block to great advantage.

Referring now to the drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the reference numeral 19 generally designates the improved clamping device and the reference numeral 11 an article of furniture such as a cabinet or chest to which the clamping device 10 is applied. The cabinet 11, illustrated by way of example, includes top and bottom walls 12 and 13 respectively, an end wall 14 and a partition panel or wall 16. The upper left and right corner edges are designated as a and b respectively and the lower left and right corner edges as c and d respectively. The walls 12, 13, 14 and 16 are formed of wood, solid or veneered as desired, the joints at corner edges 11 and d being illustrated as mitre joints and at corner edges a and c as butt joints.

The clamping device 10 comprises one or a pair of similar clamp members or frames 17, an elongated clamp bar 18 and one or a pair of wedges 19. The clamp frame 17 includes a longitudinally extending cross bar 24) terminating at its top and bottom ends in laterally projecting parallel upper and lower frame arms 21 and 22 respectively. The confronting inner faces 23 and 24 of the frame arms 21 and 22 are flat and parallel to each other. The clamp frame 17 is preferably formed of wood, either solid or laminated, and if desired the corners thereof may be suitably reinforced to withstand high stresses without fail ure.

The clamp block 18 is likewise preferably formed of wood and includes a flat underface 26 and a top face comprising a flat intermediate section 27 parallel to the underface 26 and flat symmetrical complementing end sections 29 and 30 which are inwardly upwardly inclined relative to the underface 26 and are at similar acute angles thereto. Depending from and suitably afiixed to the opposite ends of the block underface are a pair of laterally extending positioning lips 32 having confronting parallel faces.

Each of the wedges 19 may also be formed of wood and includes opposite upper and lower converging flat faces 33 and 34 forming an acute dihedral angle substantially equal to the angle between the clamp block underface 26 and the respective top face sections 29 and 30. The wedge 19 has an end face 36 which is flat and preferably perpendicular to the top face 33.

In employing the clamping device It in maintaining a tight assembly of the cabinet 11 during the drying of the glue at the joints thereof, the clamp bar 18 is placed on the cabinet wall 12 the underface 26 resting on the wall 12 along the outer edge b. The lips 32 engage the front and rear edges of the top wall 12 facilitating the accurate positioning of the clamp block 18 and inhibiting any movement above its length. Thereafter, a clamp frame 17 is placed into registry with the cabinet 11, the lower arm 22 engaging the bottom wall 13 and the upper arm 21 being disposed above the inclined surface '29. A wedge 36 is inserted into the space between the confronting block face 29 and arm face 23 and the wedge end face 36 is tapped with a hammer to drive the wedge between the clamp block and clamp leg and effect a tight locked assembly of the clamping device 10 and cabinet 11. Another clamping frame 17 may be similarly applied to the rear of the cabinet 11 in registry with the clamp block inclined section 39.

Following the assembly of the clamping device 10 and the cabinet 11, the cabinet 11 may be squared or trued by adjusting the clamp frames 17. If the cabinet diagonal from b to c is longer than that from a to d, the end face of the upper arm 21 or the cross bar 20 adjacent the arm 22 is tapped with a hammer until the cabinet 11 is squared and if the diagonal b-c is less than the diagonal a-d the free end face of the clamp arm 22 or the U-PPCZ end of the outer face of the cross bar 20 is tapped as required.

A clamp assembly may also be applied along the joint between the cabinet walls 12 and 16 by positioning a clamp block 18 across the wall 12 in registry with the wall 16 and applying a clamp frame 17 and wedge 19 in the manner set forth above. After sufficient setting of the glue at the joints, the clamping devices 10 may be readily disassembled and separated by merely dislodging and removing the wedges.

-While there has been described and illustrated a preferred embodiment of the present invention it is apparent that numerous alterations, omissions and additions may be made without departing from the spirit thereof.

What is claimed is:

A clamping device comprising in combination at least one clamp member including a longitudinally extending bar terminating at opposite ends in laterally projecting parallel arms having confronting parallel inner faces, an elongated clamp bar having a substantially fiat underface terminating at opposite ends in laterally extending depending lips and an upper face provided with upwardly inwardly inclined end sections at a first acute angle to said underface, and at least one wedge member having fiat opposite faces forming a dihedral angle substantially equal to said first angle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 176,752 Marsh May 2, 1876 827,874 Lindberg Aug. 7, 1906 1,287,635 Clapped Dec. 17, 1918 

